Method of lining furnaces



E. L. ARNOLD METHOD OF LINING FURNACES April 26, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June e, 1958 Aprl 26, 1960 E. L. ARNOLD METHOD OF LINING FURNACES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 18, 1958 INVENTOR. (W f' y Qornegs.

April 26, 1960 E. ARNOLD METHOD OF LINING FURNACES 3 Sheets Sheet 5 Filed June 18, 1958 METHOD OF LINING FURNACES Elis L. Arnold, Bulfalo, N.Y., assignor to A. E, Anderson Construction Corporation, Cheektowaga, N.Y.

Application June 18, 1958, Serial No. %42,889

Claims. (Ci. 72-14 This invention relates to methods' of lining metallurgical furnaces such as blast furnaces in such a manner that the lining operation will be eflected in the minimum of time. p

Modern blast furnaces are very large and consequent- *ly very expensive to construct. In order thata mill may lining, such for example as a broken corner or chipped edge of one of the blocks, would result in rapid deterioration of the linng.

It is consequently one of the objects of this invention to provide a method of lining a metallurgical furnace so that the operation of lining the furnace may be carried on simultaneously in the upper portion and in the lower portion of the furnace and in such a manner to incur the teutO minimum of risk of damaging any of the lining bricks or blocks. I

A furnace object is to provide a method of lining a furnace which includes the handling of the bricks or biocks in such a manner as to reduce the possibility of damage as much as possible as well as reducing the time required for handling the bricks or blocks.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. l is a central sectonal elevation of the lower portion of a blast furnace with the lining partly in place theren in accordance with my improved method.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the upper part of the furnace immediately above that shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view thereof on line 3-3, Fig. 2.

e Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view thereof on line 4-4, Fig. 1, and showing in the plan a portion of the structure .used in lining the furnace.

In the drawings I have shown by way of example one type of furnace in connection with which my improved method may be employed, but it is not intended to limit this invention for use with the furnace shown since it will be obvious that my nvention may be used in connection with other furnaces. This structure includes a metal shell 7 extending about the upper portion of the furnace and mounted on an annular frame member or mantle 8 which is suitably supported by means of supporting columns 9. The metal or frame portion of the furnace also includes a series of bosh bands 10 of circular shape which are imbedded in the lining of the furnace, The furnace also includes the usual bustle pipe 11 through which air is introduced into the lower portion of the furnace. The lower portion of the furnace has an annular steel wall 12. -The upper portion of the furnace is provided with the usual inlet hopper or bell 15 closed by means of another bell or conical closing member 16 Patenta-:d Apr. 26, 1960 2 that can be lowered to permit material from the hopper to drop into the furnace. The furnace is also provided with the usual gas discharge passages or ofltakes 17 to receive products of combustion and other gases which are then discharged from the furnace.

The lining of the furnace includes the usual floor or base 19 which is shown partly completed, and which when completed extends approximately to the broken line 20 in Fig.` 1, and the'lower portion of the lining of -the furnace wall rests on this floor and extends upwardly therefrom as indicated at 21 by the broken lines shown in Figs. 1 and 2. i At the start of the lining operation, or of relining the furnace after the old lining has been removed therefrom, an opening 24 is provided through which workmen and .lining material may enter for working on the floor or base and on the lower part of the lining. Another open- (ing 25 is provided to let the workmen and-material enter for lining the upper portion of the furnace. This is most readily done when a furnace is to be relined by means of metal cutting torches which may cut out a portion' of theannular wall 12 and another entrance 25 is formed by cutting through some of the upper bosh bands 10 of .the furnace. This opening 25 is preferably formed immediately below the mantle 8. In order to gain entrance below the mantle, it is generally necessary to remove a portion of the bustle pipe as shown at 26.

One of the first Operations in preparation for the actual lining of the furnace is to provide within the furnace at the level of the upper entrance 25 a deck 28 which is preferably mounted on beams 29, the ends of which may be Secured, for example by welding, to some of the bosh bands of the furnace. This deck is left in position in the furnace during the lining operation and serves as a support for anelevator and a hoist for use both in lining the upper and 'the lower portions of the furnace. This deck is connected by means of a platform or gangway 30 with a platform 31 mounted on a suitable structure on the exterior of the furnace, and a hoist or elevator 32 is provided for transporting material from the ground level to the platform 31.

At the entrance 24 to the lower portion of the furnace, an elevator platform 35 is suitably mounted within the furnace, that shown being partly Suspended by rods or cables 36; the upper ends of which may be welded or otherwise Secured to some of the bosh bands. This elevator platform is arranged at such elevation that linng material may be readily deposited on the same, for example by means of a lift truck. The platform may be provided with gravity rollers or other anti-friction means, not shown, for facilitating the movement of the pallets to the innerend of the platform from which the pallets are removed by means of a pallet hoist including a cage 37. This cage is open at the bottom thereof so that it may be lowered over the pallet and the brcks supported thereon and Secured to the pallet. The cage 37 consequently may be easily connected with a pallet and protects the bricks against damage.

This hoist is Suspended from a track beam 39 preferably in the formtof an "I" beam which is mounted by means of trolleys on some of the supporting beams 29 for the-deck 28 so that the track beam may move back and forth underneath the deck by means of the trolleys which operate on the "I' beams 29 supporting the deck 28. The track beam 39 supports a carriage 40 on which the cage 37 is supported by a suitable cable Suspended from the carriage 40. The cable connects with a wind- 'may then-be hoisted by means 'of the hoist mechanism mounted on the carriage 40 and may be raised off of the elevator platform and positioned toany part of the furnaceoor orwall lining where the brick are required.

By means of the track beam and the carriage-40, -the -pallets -may be positioned in any portion of the lower part of the furnace where they rnay be required-and the bricks -are then removed `from the'- pallet 'by the bricklayer. By handling the bricksin this ;manner there is the minimum of risk of damage to the brickstsince there is very little chance of damage to the 'bricks while supportedon the pallets. This method of handling the bricks also reduces the time required in laying the bricks.

During the operation of 'lining the upper part of the `furnace,' other bricks also on pallets areraised byimeans ;of the elevator 32 to the platform 31, The pallet on which the bricks 'are mouited may then-be 'placed on a ramp which may include roller unitsfalong which the pallet of bricks is moved along the platform- 31 andthe :gangway 30 to the deck 9.8. `-While the lining for ;the lower part of the furnace is being constructed,*the lining for the upper'pa rt is alsobegun by 'laying brick on the mantle 8, and preferably a corbel Construction 44 is employed at the beginning of the lining of the upper part ofthe furnace.

After the lining bricks have been positioned on the mantle to a height which can be conveniently reached by bricklayers standing on the deck 28, scaffolding of any usual or suitable type is erectedon the deck on which platforms 45-are successively supported. The pallets are supplied to the platform 45 by means of an elevator 47 arranged within an elevator shaft 48. The elevator shaft is provided withopenings wherever *necessary to permit pallets and brick mounted thereon tobe placed-on the elevator 47, and suitable openings are provided in the elevator shaft through which the pallets are removed from the elevator for placing 'them into convenient positions for bricklayers working on one orbther of the platforrns 45. suitable roller platforms 49 or other friction reducing means may be employed wherever: desired to facilitate moving the pallets to the-desired locations on the platforms. The elevator 47 is preferably supported on a cable 50 mounted in the uppeportion of the furnace for lifting the elevator to any desired level.

60 represents a pipe forming a center post positione'd accurately in the vertical center of the furnace. This pipe is used to facilitate positioning the lining in correct rlelation to other parts of the furnace and the elevator 'and the scaffolding is positioned to be clear of this post.

When the lining of the upper portion of the furnace has been completed, the scaffolding and platforns supported by the deck 28 are removed. The deck and the supporting beams 29 are also removed when the lining of the lower portion of the furnace has been finished to a height at which further lining would be interfered with by the track beam 39 and the deck 28, whereupon these parts are removed. The portions of the bosh bands which have been removed to provide the entrance are then again welded in place and the work of lining the remaining portion of the furnace is carried on from below so that the lining covers the mantle and the corble.

By means of the method described, the lining of a furnace can be very expeditiously carried out and the breakage of bricks is also greatly reduced. Since the bricks must be made of various shapes to-fit the various parts of 'and an annular mantle mounted on the shell of the furnace at a substantial distance from the lower end thereot, said method including the steps of cutting an opening in the furnace shell below said mantle to admit lining material, mounting a deck within the furnace substantially on the level of the bottom of said opening, providing a platform on the exterior of said furnace substantially on the level-of the bottom of said opening, erecting a scaffold and an elevator on said deck to receive lining material approximatly at the level of said deck and discharging the lining material on said scafiold, and providing an entrance for lining material in said furnace shell below 'said deck, and applying lining to said furnace simultaneously above-and below said mantle.

2. A method according to claim l and including the steps of closing said opening after completing the lining -of'the portion of the'blast furnace above said mantle, :and then completing the Construction of the lining from below up to said mantle.

3. A 'method according to claim 1 and including the steps of removing from' said furnace said elevator and said deck after completing the lining of said furnace above said mantle, then closing said first mentioned opening and completing the lining of said furnace to and around said mantle from below said mantle.

r 4. A method of lining a blast furnace having an annular mantle mounted on the shell of the furnace at a substantial distance from the bottom thereof, said method including the steps of first positioning bricks belonging to a certain portion of the lining on a pallet, cutting an opening in the shell of the furnace below said mantle, mounting a deck within said furnace substantially on the level of the bottom of said opening, passing pallets with the brick arranged thereon through said opening onto said deckand moving the pallets to the position of the furnace in which the brick are to be installed, and removing the brick from the pallet in immediate vicinity of the portion of the furnace in which the brick on suchpallet are to be installed, providing a second entrance in the furnace below -said deck, passing other pallets containing brick through said second entrance into the interior of the lower' portion' of the furnace, and hoisting said other pallets containing the brick to the part of the lower portion of the furnace in which said bricks are to be installed, whereby the brick on any pallet is maintained in its original position on such pallet until removed therefrom in immediate vicinity of the portion of the furnace in which the bricks are to be installed.

5. A method according to claim 4 and including the steps of mounting scaitolding and supporting platforms on said deck at difierent elevatons, elevating the pallets containing the brick to a platform, and moving the pallets on said platforms to the portion of the furnace in which the bricks are to be installed.

'References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,0 90,856 Johnson Mar. 24, 1914 1922,560 Sullivan Aug. 15, 1933 2,3.46,033 Jordan Apr. 4, 1944 %93 2 T t o --v-v----,-- ---,--v---- .1954 

